TVA Sports is the Official French Broadcaster of the World Cup of Hockey 2016

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - March 4, 2015) - TVA Sports is proud to announce that the best players in the world will compete on its airwaves during the World Cup of Hockey 2016, starting September 17. In partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), TVA Sports has acquired the television and multiplatform content rights, and will be the exclusive French broadcaster of the tournament.

The best players from the NHL will participate in the World Cup of Hockey 2016, which will take place over a two-week period. Hockey fans can see every game of the tournament, which promises to impress the audience, on TVA Sports, the web and our mobile applications.

"The World Cup of Hockey 2016 will be a major international event and we are proud to continue our partnership with the NHLPA and the NHL as exclusive French broadcaster," says Pierre Dion, President and CEO of Quebecor. "We have a commitment to the fans and the NHL to offer the best of hockey and the World Cup is a golden opportunity to showcase the sport."

"The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will be a spectacular moment for our League and our players," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We know Rogers and TVA Sports will capture the excitement, the drama and every moment of what will be outstanding hockey for our fans across Canada."

"We are very pleased to offer TVA Sports subscribers a chance to see the most spectacular players in the world in this tournament, returning after a 12-year absence," says Serge Fortin, Vice-President, TVA Sports. "The hockey season will begin a month earlier in 2016 and fans will be excited to follow performances by the Canadian team."

"We are excited to reach an agreement, along with the NHL, for TVA Sports to broadcast the 2016 World Cup of Hockey - a two-week competition that will feature over 150 of the top hockey players in the world," said Don Fehr, NHLPA Executive Director. "Hockey fans from coast-to-coast in Canada will experience comprehensive coverage of the players participating in this best-on-best tournament."

A tournament not to be missed

The World Cup of Hockey 2016 will include the following eight teams: Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Team North American Young Stars (the top 23-and-under Canadian and US players) and Team Europe (players from countries not represented by their national teams).

Once it is unveiled by tournament officials, a complete schedule of the World Cup of Hockey will be available to fans on the TVA Sports website. All games will be played at the Air Canada Center in Toronto. The broadcasting of the event is shared with Sportsnet, official English-language broadcaster.

About TVA Sports

TVA Sports is Quebec's #1 hockey destination, as well as the indispensible French-language station for sports fans. As an official French-language broadcaster of the National Hockey League (NHL) in Canada for the next 12 years, TVA Sports will air over 275 NHL games in the 2014-2015 season, including all Montreal Canadiens Saturday night games, the playoff series (including Montreal Canadiens games), the Stanley Cup Finals, as well as special events. TVA Sports will also present 55 QMJHL and CHL games, including the Memorial Cup. In the past few years, the station has also reached broadcast agreements with several prestige properties such as the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the Toronto Blue Jays, the Montreal Impact, GYM, the Interbox Group, the IndyCar Series, the Champions League, the Europa League, ATP and WTA tennis, the Davis Cup and Fed Cup, the Quebec City and Montreal Cycling Grand Prix, the Red Bull Crashed Ice, the Red Bull Signature Series and the Dew Tour. Starting this fall, TVA Sports will support its sports programming with shows focusing on Quebec's favourite sports (including hockey) with hosts like Louis Jean (Le Premier Trio), Dave Morissette (Dave Morissette en direct) and Sébastien Benoît (Le Fanatik).